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Asterix and the Actress
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Asterix and the Actress | |
 |
|
| French Title: | Asterix et Latraviata |
|---|---|
| Story: | Albert Uderzo |
| Illustrations: | Albert Uderzo |
| French Edition: | 2001 |
| English Translation: | 2001 |
| Preceded by: | Asterix and Obelix All at Sea |
| Followed by: | Asterix and the Class Act |
Asterix and the Actress is the thirty-first volume of the Asterix comic book series, by Albert Uderzo (story and illustrations).
The story starts with a few surprises: For Asterix and Obelix' birthday party, their parents have decided to come from Condatum. Their mothers have already arrived, bringing a fabulous Roman sword and helmet as presents, and they immediately fuss about why their sons are still single; their methods to rectify the situation, however, bring little happiness to their offspring.
Meanwhile, however, Asterix and Obelix' fathers - who run a 'modernities' store in Condatum - have inadvertently got themselves into a tight spot: an alcoholic legionary veteran (Tremensdelirius from Asterix and Caesar's Gift) has pawned a helmet and a sword in their shop - the personal weapons of Pompeius, Caesar's enemy, which are now in Asterix and Obelix' possession. Of course, their rightful possessor wants them back, and to this end he employs one of his agents, Decurion Fastandfurious, and a gifted tragic actress named Latraviata. Disguised as Panacea, Obelix' love interest, who is allegedly suffering from amnesia, Latraviata is to infiltrate the Gaulish village and retrieve Pompeius' weapons.
However, the real Panacea and her husband Tragicomix soon discover that Asterix and Obelix' fathers have been imprisoned by Pompeius, and they immediatedly travel to their village to warn their friends. On their way they run into Latraviata and Fastandfurious, who have left the village with Asterix and Obelix (who had not yet realized what was going on) in pursuit, and the game is exposed. Fastandfurious is "menhired", Pompeius' weapons are returned to the two friends (with some slight damage from menhir pressure), and Asterix and Obelix race to Condatum to free their fathers and to give Pompeius a run for his money. At the end of the story Latraviata is the first actress ever to receive an award for Outstanding Performance.
- The award Latraviata receives parodies a César Award given by the French Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinema (hence a golden Caesar). The first César Award for Best Actress was given to Romy Schneider in 1976 (who resembles Latraviata unmasked).
- This is the first time Asterix and Obelix' parents have an appearance in the mainstream comic line.
- At the end of this book, Dogmatix finds a mate and has puppies, thus being way ahead of his two masters in getting a mate.
- In this book, Asterix and Obelix have a birthday in the same day. However, in the book Obelix and Co. and the life-action movie Asterix and Obelix take on Caesar, Obelix has a birthday on his own. This also creates another plothole, since all the books are supposed to take place in one year, 50 B. C.
- Italian: Asterix e Latraviata
- Portuguese: Astérix e Latraviata
- Polish: Asteriks i Latraviata